La Aspace Catalonia Foundation is pleased to announce the results of a ground-breaking clinical study on cardiovascular risk factors in adults with intellectual disability and cerebral palsy, which has been recognized with the award to la best oral communication by the Catalan Society of Neurology.
The scientific literature indicates that adults with cerebral palsy have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to the general population. This study, led by doctor Bernat Bertran and Dr. Isabel Fernández, aimed to evaluate the incidence of cardiovascular risk factors in a cohort of adults with intellectual disability and/or cerebral palsy followed at the specialized center of the Fundació Aspace Catalunya.
The retrospective study analyzed patients treated during the year 2023-2024. Recent analytics, blood pressure data, body mass index (BMI), treatments and diagnoses, as well as variables related to their underlying pathology, were reviewed.
They were evaluated 300 patients with an average age of 38,4 years. The results showed that 4,41% smoked, 11,8% were hypertensive, 27,2% had dyslipidemia, 3,68% were diabetic and 16,71% were obese. Only two patients (0,74%) had a history of ischemic heart disease. Factors associated with hypertension, dyslipidemia or diabetes mellitus were age and obesity, while treatment with neuroleptics was associated with a higher BMI.
Contrary to what the scientific literature indicates, our cohort has a lower incidence of cardiovascular risk factors compared to the general population. This suggests that adequate follow-up in a specialized unit could improve cardiovascular risk control in this population and prevent complications such as stroke, myocardial infarctions, and heart failure.
This work has been recognized with the prize for the best oral communication at the annual meeting of the Catalan Society of Neurology. This recognition underlines the the importance of the research carried out at the Aspace Catalunya Foundation and the commitment of its professionals to improve the health and quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities and cerebral palsy.
We would like to congratulate all the professionals and users of the Aspace Catalunya Foundation for their effort and participation in this study. Their dedication and commitment have been key to achieving these outstanding results. We will continue to work with the same spirit and rigor to advance our goal of improving the health and well-being of the people we serve.
